The Legislative Finance Committee staff report says prekindergarten's benefits outweigh the costs, although that's not the case for child care provided through registered homes and some state licensed programs.

Prekindergarten provides services through public schools and other locations. It costs about $3,000 for each student. But report says research shows prekindergarten's benefits include improving student achievement through the third grade.

New Mexico will spend about $231 million on early childhood programs in the next budget year - a nearly 13 percent increase. About $98 million is for childcare assistance for about 20,000 children, and $37 million is for prekindergarten to serve more than 10,000 children.

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